Page 87 of Fiendish Delights
Hugo rocked back on his heels. ‘Dead? Properly dead?’
‘Uh-huh.’
‘You’re sure?’
‘Uh-huh,’ I repeated. I bit my lip. ‘It’s as much of a surprise to me as it was to him. I’ll tell you all about it later.’
‘I can’t wait to hear the full story,’ he murmured. He hooked his arm around mine and my skin twitched in response. ‘It’s really good to see you again.’
‘Are you going to kiss now?’ Otis asked.
Hugo’s body stiffened.
‘Because,’ Hester said, ‘we’re very close to the second lair and we ought to go there first. We’ve delayed long enough.’ She raised her tiny eyebrows. ‘I want to see my dragon!’
I moved away from Hugo and nodded. ‘Yes, let’s deal with the dragon first and worry about everything else later.’
I glanced at the trees. They were planted close together and it was difficult to see anything beyond shifting dark shadows and densely packed, spindly branches. ‘You’ve still got the dragon’s egg?’ I asked Hugo.
He patted his backpack. ‘I have.’
I smiled brightly. ‘Then let’s go.’
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
Iheld back so that Hugo could take the lead then I motioned towards both brownies. They could squeeze into my pockets for the last of the journey. Hester wrinkled her nose. ‘We’ve been through this. It reeks in there, Daisy.’
I hardened my gaze. ‘Just get in. I want to know where you are at all times until we’ve seen the next lair for ourselves.’
Otis was perturbed by my tone. ‘Daisy?—’
‘Get in.’
He flinched then he did as he was told. Hester shook her head.
‘I’m the one in charge here,’ I told her. ‘You’re beholden to me. Do what I fucking say.’
She stared. ‘How much spider’s silk have you taken today?’ she whispered.
Hugo’s head whipped around and his blue eyes narrowed. I refused to look at him. ‘Move it, Hester,’ I growled.
She sniffed and flew down, holding herself stiffly. When she slid inside my pocket, she continued to indicate her unhappiness by jabbing me repeatedly through the fabric. I ignored her and waved at Hugo to keep going. He watched me for anothermoment before turning around to continue walking. I sucked in a breath and followed about a metre or so behind him.
We picked our way upwards, cresting first one hill then another. A few icy raindrops had started to fall and the wind had picked up, gusting in my face and making it difficult to move quickly. It didn’t seem to bother Hugo and several times he extended the distance between us with his long-legged stride. Each time I doubled my pace, determined not to let him get too far ahead.
When I spotted the charred remains of a bush and the long scratches in the ground to my right, I forced myself to move faster. That became imperative when the faint reek of manure tickled my nostrils, because it wasn’t a smell caused by sheep or goats. I couldn’t suppress my shiver. We’d found the dragon lair. ‘Hugo!’ I hissed.
He didn’t react; he simply kept ploughing ahead. I tried again. ‘Hugo!’ He still didn’t stop. I ground my teeth. ‘Hugo, you cumbubbling arse!’
He came to a stuttering halt and turned his head. I waved at him urgently. ‘Slow down,’ I said. ‘This is the right place. We need to be careful now.’
He gave a sharp nod and I scurried forward until we were abreast. ‘I think you’re right,’ he told me in a low voice. ‘You see that spot ahead? That dark shape close to the clump of rocks?’
I peered ahead. To be honest, I couldn’t see much of anything beyond grey scree and muddy ground but I nodded anyway.
‘I think that’s the entrance to the lair,’ he whispered. ‘It looks big enough and there are claw marks in front of it.’
